GP3: Leclerc tops day one of testing

ART Grand Prix’s Charles Leclerc quickest in Yas Marina

Monegasque rookie Charles Leclerc was fastest overall on day one of testing at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The ART Grand Prix tester’s best lap of 1:55.209 was almost half a second clear of his nearest opposition Antonio Fuoco (Trident) – which was set in the afternoon session. Matthew Parry – also having made the switch to test for the 2015 runners-up squad Trident; was quickest in the morning.

The opening day of testing got underway in very hot conditions. The 21 drivers fed onto the circuit to set installation laps with Campos Racing’s Steijn Schothorst first to set the pace in the 1m57’s. Koiranen GP’s Matevos Isaakyan improved to take P1 before an early red flag due to Brazilian rookie Pedro Cardoso stopping on track.

Once the action resumed, Brit Jack Aitken jumped to P2, before Ralph Boschung – the Swiss testing for Status Grand Prix demoted Aitken to third. Nirei Fukuzumi (ART Grand Prix) made contact with the barrier at T1 which caused a slightly longer delay. Once the track was green, Isaakyan led from Aitken, Boschung and Leclerc.

There was a short stoppage after Tatiana Calderon stopped on circuit with technical gremlins and when the track was live again; it was a Trident one-two with the experienced hands of Fuoco and Parry. The Italian improved on his personal best to become the first driver to dip into the 1m55’s.

In the final few moments it was all change as Parry flew to the top of the time-sheet, with Aitken also lapping in the 1m55’s to go second, with Fuoco third. Jake Dennis (Arden International), Jake Hughes (Koiranen GP), Kevin Joerg (Trident), Schothorst, Boschung, Isaakyan and Leclerc completed the top ten.

The field returned to the track for the afternoon session with all drivers using the medium compound from Pirelli. Boschung headed the pace early on before Leclerc was first to break into the 1m56’s. The Swiss ace responded by lapping faster by 0.068s with Leclerc retaliating to re-take P1 by half a second in a tasty duel.

Fuoco snuck into P2 splitting the pair before heading the timings by two tenth tenths. Again the Monegasque driver found some extra pace to fly to the top of the timesheet as the clock ticked down. Dennis also improved late on in the session to rise to third. With three minutes remaining, there was a red flag due to Joerg spinning at Turn 3. The session was never re-started.